Q.The railroad crossing near Taft Avenue and Glassell Street in Orange seems to be defective. Quite a few times, around 7 a.m., the crossing lights flash and the barriers go down but no train comes. One day this happened four times in a row with no train. Also, after the crossing arms go up, the traffic light for drivers traveling west on Taft Avenue stays red for five to seven minutes at a time. Why is this? Can anything be done to address this?

– Charles Kaupke, Villa Park

A. First and foremost, Charles, the crossing signal is not malfunctioning, said Metrolink spokesman Jeff Lustgarten.

“On behalf of Metrolink, we apologize for any inconvenience this crossing signal may have caused you,” Lustgarten said.

This particular issue is likely caused by any one of a few legit reasons: maintenance equipment operating on the track; freight trains switching rail cars nearby; or a slow-moving Metrolink train waiting for clearance to move onto tracks operated by BNSF Railway, Lustgarten said.

Metrolink’s crossing equipment is connected with the city of Orange’s traffic signal at this particular intersection so that motorists have ample warning about the oncoming commuter trains, which generally run through Orange around 6:30, 7 and 7:30 a.m., Lustgarten said.

“If he did not see a train moving through the crossing, I would be very surprised,” Lustgarten said.

The city of Orange’s Public Works Department has asked Metrolink officials to alleviate the problem by limiting maintenance activity to off-peak hours, said city spokesman Paul Sitkoff. The request has solved part of the problem, but hasn’t completely eliminated it, Sitkoff said.

To report problems at Metrolink crossings: 888-446-9721.

Q.I would like to know why the southbound Kraemer Boulevard onramp to the westbound 91 freeway in Anaheim is not metered during evening rush hour? The northbound Kraemer Boulevard/Glassell Street entrance to the westbound 91 freeway seems to be metered. The number of cars pouring into these entrances causes mass congestion and makes for a dangerous situation. Can Caltrans run a meter at this entrance during the evening rush hour?

– Susan Petrella, Fullerton

A. Great catch, Susan. It turns out the southbound Kraemer/Glassell onramp meter is damaged and will be repaired in the near future, Caltrans spokeswoman Yvonne Washington said. Caltrans investigated this spot after hearing about your concern.

“Thank you for an opportunity to maximize transportation-system performance and accessibility,” Washington said.

On the Road takes transportation questions from readers of our North Orange County weekly newspapers. You can email questions to ontheroad@ocregister.com. Only the questions placed into the column are answered.

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